Page 47 of Veiled

“I would like that, thank you,” Megan said brightly, her shoulders back and her head straight, a boost of confidence making her look a lot less lost. She was pretty, with her round glasses settled over her hazel eyes, long brown hair and sweet smile. She was the classic girl next door. Dinner was just about over, and we got up to start putting our trays back.

“Do you have any extracurriculars, Megan?” I asked as we paused to the side of the dining room before heading to the second combat zone area that held the tactical course.

“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes, “my mom kept insisting so I chose the one thing she wasn’t expecting, the tactical course. She wanted me to run or swim because it was something she can pass off as more ladylike to her high tea ladies.” She rolled her eyes and smiled. “So, I figured. I’d rather test myself as the invisible girl and try my hand at the course instead.”

We laughed and then grabbed her hand. “We have it too, let's go.”

Well, this was impressive, I thought to myself as I walked into the other combat zone and took in the tactical course. It was massive. From beginning to end there was a combination of walls, ropes, water pits, mud slides, and barbed wires that you had to crawl under, and each section was completely random, nothing ever being consistent. So, while one section had barbed wires and then a water pit, the next would have ropes and barbed wire. Definitely a way to make sure we didn’t get complacent with the course. What I did notice though, was that there were various flat surfaces, I presumed for the combat portions of the course. The entire room was dark enough to make the course seem more daunting, add the fog machines making visibility low, the floor in the entire arena damp dirt, it was a death trap. I couldn’t fucking wait.

I started bouncingon my feet as I walked to the front of the room. Remi laughed at me and Megan, still looking wide eyed at the set-up, followed behind. There were only about 10 of us here, which was a nice pace from a full class.

“Alright students,” Dean Alvors’ voice rang out as he stood in the front with Hunter, Ryder, Zane, and Grayson standing behind him looking all kinds of menacing and sexy. I made sure they saw me as I licked my lips slowly, their eyes turning heated. I laughed and focused back on the dean. “Okay, so the course, as you can see, is random. Whoever gets to the end of each section first will wait and combat whichever instructor is there at the time. We will be walking about, rotating our positions. Do not let the instructor choice confuse you; just because they are there at that time doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be fighting with that instructor's taught course magic. It will be varied. You may end up getting two of the same forms of combat back-to-back. The entire point is to keep you on your toes.”

Easy enough. Sounds like a good time. Focus on what’s in front of you and keep moving. I looked at the course, considering my course of action, and taking in possibilities and weighing them in my mind. I figured out there had to be way more random surprises coming up. Turns out, I was right when the Dean smiled at us savagely and the men started to grin.

“Of course, this is timed. Fifteen minutes to get across and at the end of the course, there will be an instructor, or two, or three, or myself, waiting to combat everyone here. Your goal is to last as long as possible with any of us, using full strength.” Jaws dropped around the group at Dean Alvor’s statement. It was so fucking on.

They hadus line up with me somewhere in the middle. Strategy. I wanted to see what everyone else did and their times. I liked to pick up on the small issues I had to prepare for, although I had a feeling everyone would have their own set of challenges. This first section had a wall to climb over first, but with no foot holds or rope, then a flame pit at the bottom of the other end. At this point, the room darkened slightly and the other sections weren’t visible until the student got there. Fucking genius. I feel like Kalen would have built some shit like this himself and laugh as everyone fell behind.

The first student ran up to the wall and tried to climb it, realizing he couldn't. Technically, he could go around it, but on each side was a sudden drop and he couldn’t. Frustrated, he paced the wall as if it were going to open up the Room of Requirement or something. He finally manipulated the earth and made small steps for him to climb, but as he climbed them, the ground started to shake and he had to jump to the edge of the wall, hanging precariously before swinging himself over. Underneath the other side of the wall was a fire pit and he had to get across it without falling into the flames. He tried to use the wind, but that fanned the flames even more. This poor kid just looked completely out of his element. When he finally reached the end of the first section, he had to combat Zane with a weapon of his choice, and he barely lasted a minute before he was flat on his back.

As he cleared, the next student went on with their own set of challenges, each of them getting their asses handed to them by the course, the guys, or both. So far, no one had made time. I was the sixth person up and I was ready to go. When the Dean called my name, I was already walking to the first part of the course. Knowing that I needed to get up the wall, I wasted no time and used air to propel myself to the top of the wall before they had the chance to really stop me from getting there, though right before I landed on the wall, I felt pressure and I did land precariously on the edge of the wall. I laughed. Oh, this was going to be a blast.

Remi

I sawHudson land on the edge of the wall and laugh. She had been practically vibrating with energy from the moment the other students began the tactical course. She had run and propelled herself before anyone could really see what was happening, so the instructors last minute attempt did nothing to deter her, although, realistically, I’m not sure they could. I looked around to gauge their locations while they were all rotating. Alvor was closest to the end, I’m sure he planned it that way so he could test her strength in battle himself. I rolled my eyes. The other students who didn’t finish by the twenty-minute mark, were given a five-minute grace period, then told to step to the side to observe the rest of the students.

“She really is kind of incredible, albeit, maybe slightly insane,” giggled Megan from behind me and I had to laugh.

“Oh yeah, that is an accurate description of her that’s for sure,” I replied in a low whisper, my voice tinged with affection. We turned our attention back to Hudson; she truly was something else. Her 21st birthday being so close, I worried quite a bit about how much power she was able to exhibit. I bit my lip; I was supposed to see Alvor after classes today to debrief, but I think he will get his own answers if he continues to watch as closely as he has been. I rubbed my temples; this was only the first day of classes and I had a strong feeling that something was about to happen. Shit can only ever get more intense, never less.

Hudson movedthe earth to stop the fire, jumped down into a crouch without flinching, and walked across the first section to find herself face to face with Ryder. Without pausing or looking, she picked up the sword for the students, then infused it with magic and started to fight Ryder with an intensity and speed in her skill, which I’m positive increased from this morning. It is as if the more she used it, the stronger she became. I looked on with interest as she sidestepped and disarmed Ryder, smacking his sword to the side. My eyebrows shot up as her sword glowed… purple…right before she blasted Ryder with magic. Well, fuck. Ryder was on his back and she was over that second wall before he had a chance to get up. Then, it was my turn to step up. Well, I couldn't let her outdo me, so instead of flying through the wall, I used magic to blow it up instead. Who said only Hudson can have fun? I smiled and went through.

* * *

Hudson

After I laidRyder flat on his ass with a combination of magic I never used before but seemed instinctual, if that made any sense, I vaulted over the next wall in time to hear an explosion of the first wall. I smiled; Remi would be a fucking show off. I quickly bypassed the next two sections, crawling under barbed wires, climbing ropes, and vaulting over a chasm in the ground, before kicking Zane’s ass in weaponry and Hunter in hand-to-hand combat, barely. I was eleven minutes in and wanted to finish the last section in four.

I focused my attention on what seemed to be a water pit earlier but looked more like a swirling vortex. It made me pause. I peered at it carefully, sensing its energy and trying to put out, what I like to call, magical feelers. It was water-based, but with a jelly consistency? I rolled my eyes, water quicksand. Must be an interesting thing to be stuck in. Never matter. I sent out a wave of magic to freeze the vortex, but it wouldn’t freeze. Interesting. Whoever did this was a dick. Oh well, I shrugged. If I could not freeze it, then I would do the next best thing. Without thinking, I shielded myself and jumped straight into the vortex. The vortex was magic, therefore, it was energy. Energy can be absorbed and then redistributed. So, when I hit the center, I held my breath and quickly threw my hands out, allowing myself to be drawn in. I hit the bottom of the pool and absorbed the energy of the magic around me. The colors around me were swirling and beautiful, almost hypotonic. It took a lot more effort to hold my breath than I thought it would. Whoever built this vortex did so to trap the student and make the student lose time. I closed my eyes against the magical mind fuck, force of magic and water, pressing against my lungs and instead, I breathed in the magic through my pores. This magic felt different, unique, pure?

Mine.My mind opened and it was like my soul was absorbing the magic as tightly as possible, taking its fill.

What’s yours? The magic?

Mine.

Fuck, I was talking to myself. I ignored my thoughts and focused on feeling the power fill me, until the vortex stopped, and I was able to swim to the top of the pool, no longer being held down by the force of the power around me. I was weightless, powerful and unstoppable. I felt, rather than saw, the power flowing through me. The rush was incredible. I could do anything-be anything-and no one would get in my way. No one could even try.

Mine. All power is mine.

Yes. It is mine.

I burst out of the pool to find myself face to face with Dean Alvor, smiling at me until he saw my eyes. He blinked and took a step back with a frown on his face. I took in the group behind him but dismissed them quickly. He moved first so he was my prey. I turned my head to the side, feeling like a predator stalking the pretty rabbit before tearing it in two.

Don’t run, pretty rabbit. I heard them gasp and I smiled.

I crouched down to the floor; the rabbit needed to be taught its place.

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